Top Banner 486X60

Autographed Derek Lee Prints Helping Fight Daughter’s Disease

Nationally-known sports artist John Hanley lives in the Chicago area and often focuses on the city’s sports subjects. He’s teamed up with Cubs’ 1st baseman Derrek Lee to offer a special autographed print aimed at raising awareness in the fight against the disease that’s cost Lee’s young daughter Jada vision in one eye.

Hanley’s website reports that Derrek Lee’s 1st Touch Foundation/Project 3000 and John Hanley are offering Limited Edition prints of the Cubs first baseman to raise awareness in the fight against Lebers Congenital Amaurosis-LCA, an inherited form of blindness. Lee and Boston Celtic owner Wyc Grousbeck, who has a son with LCA, teamed up to create "Project 3000" to provide state of the art genetic testing for every man, woman, and child who has LCA.

The print measures 16 x20 and the edition size is 500-with 25 Artist proofs signed by Derrek Lee and the artist. The original oil painting measuring 30"x40", also signed by Lee, is available for purchase.

70% of proceeds from the sale of each Derrek Lee signed print ($400) and 60% of artist only signed prints ($65) and 50% from the sale of the original painting will be donated to 1st Touch Foundation to help find a cure through the support of research.

Lee told the Chicago Tribune, "If you saw her, you wouldn’t really know. She sees really well. You wouldn’t know she has lost vision. Her spirit has never changed. She’s doing well, still goes to preschool twice a week. Right now she’s great."

Lee’s life changed when he got the news Sept. 14, and now he’s devoting a great part of his off-hours to his foundation, 1st Touch, which is hoping to promote research to find a cure.

"She had complained of some pain, I guess the lights flickered, and I’m like, ‘Oh, as a precaution, let’s take her in and have them check her out,’" Lee said. "Otherwise we probably still wouldn’t know."

Related Stories:

No related stories.

About Rich Mueller

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for more than 30 years and a collector for even longer than that, he's usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected]